Tuesday, March 22, 2016
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Two more to go.
The Alaska Anchorage women’s basketball team advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championships with a 79-55 victory over Francis Marion on Tuesday night at the Sanford Pentagon.
Senior guard Jessica Madison led the team with 15 points in a balanced scoring effort from the Seawolves as 11 players got on the scoreboard. Madison was dangerous in the first half from behind the three-point arc, hitting on 3 of 4 shots. Senior forward Megan Mullings added 11 points with a game high nine rebounds and three blocks.
The win advanced the Seawolves’ record to 36-2 overall. Alaska Anchorage awaits the winner of the nightcap between No. 2 Pittsburgh State and No. 7 Grand Valley State. The Seawolves are scheduled to play Wed., Mar. 23 at 6:30 p.m. Pacific time in the Final Four.
The Seawolves defense was suffocating from start to finish, holding the Patriots to 30.8 percent shooting from the field and 7.1 percent from beyond the arc (1 of 9) while forcing 18 turnovers.
After a back-and-forth first six minutes, Alaska Anchorage went on a 10-4 run to end the first quarter, taking a 22-14 lead after the first ten minutes. They would not lose the lead for the rest of the game. The Seawolves opened the second quarter with a 10-0 run, extending the lead to 32-14. The Patriots responded with a 10-0 run of their own, with the Seawolves holding onto a 38-29 halftime advantage.
Alaska Anchorage came out of the halftime locker room, outscoring the Patriots by seven to take a 60-44 lead into the final 10 minutes.
In the fourth quarter, neither team put up a point through the first two and a half minutes, playing to the advantage of the Seawolves. The West Region tournament MVP Alysha Devine scored seven of her 12 points in the final stanza, helping extend the Seawolves’ lead to over 20. By the time the final buzzer had sounded, the GNAC champions held their largest lead of the game at 79-55.
Junior guard Kiki Robertson led the team with six assists and three steals despite four personal fouls. The Seawolves shot 51.6 percent from the field (32 of 62) and 50 percent from behind the arc (7 of 14).
The Patriots’ Briana Burgins helped keep her team’s Cinderella hopes alive, scoring a career-high 29 points on 10 of 19 shooting from the field. Francis Marion entered the Elite Eight as a No. 7 seed after upsetting the Southeast region.
Alaska Anchorage advances to its third Final Four in program history, previously doing so in 2008 and 2009. They will look to advance to their first NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Finals in program history tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. Pacific time, as they await the winner of Grand Valley State and Pittsburg State.